The nature of leadership - ACS Publications

intelligence, judgement, and maturity. Effective leadership must be ... chemistrv and its contributions to our collective weKbeine. -. the necessity o...
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The Nature of Leadership Science and technology have exerted a powerful influence over people's lives in the modern era. The course of the develooment of science and technolorn in turn has been strongly inflienced by the science policies &overnments. The public's image and attitude toward science and technology .. have influenced the science policies of governments. It is, perhaps, not surorisinn that any three groups might reach contentious

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legiance to more than one of these camps. he problems soawned by the interactions among science, government, and the publiccry out for effective leadership. Leaders in these areas often command single-issue constituencies which carry out their crusades in the media, an arena not renowned for fostering sustained intellectual argument. At this very moment we need concerted action; we-citizens, politicians, and scientists-are a fragmented society. The high level of contention among the existing and developing fragments has made it increasingly difficult to hear, let aione understand, the different points of view. Effective leadership starts with a capacity to formulate values. What do we think and feel about science? About technology? Why do we feel the way we do? Effective leadership exhibits an ability to establish meaningful and achievable goals. Recognizing that some applications of science and technology enhance the stature of individual citizens while others diminish them and cause alienation, what do we exvect from science? From technology? We must also unfortunately often leads to sharply focused retrospective views that can he expressed in counterproductive ways. One of the more important characteristics of effective leadership is an ability to compromise or to seek a common

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